The Most Famous

RACING DRIVERS from Switzerland

This page contains a list of the greatest Swiss Racing Drivers. The pantheon dataset contains 1,080 Racing Drivers, 31 of which were born in Switzerland. This makes Switzerland the birth place of the 9th most number of Racing Drivers behind Brazil, and Japan.

Top 10

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Swiss Racing Drivers of all time. This list of famous Swiss Racing Drivers is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Swiss Racing Drivers.

1. Clay Regazzoni (1939 - 2006)

With an HPI of 69.68, Clay Regazzoni is the most famous Swiss Racing Driver. His biography has been translated into 32 different languages on wikipedia.

Gianclaudio Giuseppe "Clay" Regazzoni (Italian pronunciation: [dʒaŋˈklaudjo dʒuˈzɛppe reɡatˈtsoːni]; 5 September 1939 – 15 December 2006) was a Swiss racing driver and broadcaster, who competed in Formula One from 1970 to 1980. Regazzoni was runner-up in the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in 1974 with Ferrari, and won five Grands Prix across 11 seasons. Regazzoni competed in Formula One for 11 seasons, winning five Grands Prix. His first win was the Italian Grand Prix at Monza in his debut season, driving for Ferrari. He remained with the Italian team until 1972. After a single season with BRM, Regazzoni returned to Ferrari for a further three years from 1974 (where he was the runner-up to Emerson Fittipaldi) to 1976. After finally leaving Ferrari at the end of 1976, Regazzoni joined the Ensign and Shadow teams, before moving to Williams in 1979, where he took the British team's first ever Grand Prix victory, the 1979 British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Regazzoni was replaced by Carlos Reutemann at Williams for 1980 and moved back to Ensign. Following an accident at the 1980 United States Grand Prix West, he was left paralyzed from the waist down, ending his career in Formula One. Regazzoni did not stop racing, and he competed in the Paris–Dakar rally and Sebring 12 Hours using a hand-controlled car during the late 1980s and early 1990s. In 1996, Regazzoni became a commentator for Italian TV. He was known as a hard-charging racer. Jody Scheckter stated that if "he'd been a cowboy he'd have been the one in the black hat". Regazzoni died in a car accident in Italy on 15 December 2006.

2. Jo Siffert (1936 - 1971)

With an HPI of 63.22, Jo Siffert is the 2nd most famous Swiss Racing Driver. His biography has been translated into 22 different languages.

Joseph Siffert (French pronunciation: [ʒo sifɛʁ]; 7 July 1936 – 24 October 1971) was a Swiss racing driver, who competed in Formula One from 1962 to 1971. Siffert won two Formula One Grands Prix across 10 seasons. Affectionately known as "Seppi" to his family and friends, Siffert was born in Fribourg, Switzerland, the son of a dairy owner. He initially made his name in racing on two wheels, winning the Swiss 350 cc motorcycle championship in 1959, before switching to four wheels with a Formula Junior Stanguellini. Siffert graduated to Formula One as a privateer in 1962, with a four-cylinder Lotus-Climax. He later moved to Swiss team Scuderia Filipinetti, and in 1964 joined Rob Walker's private British Rob Walker Racing Team. Early successes included victories in the 1964 and 1965 Mediterranean Grands Prix non-Championship Formula One races, both times beating Jim Clark by a very narrow margin. He won two World Championship races, one for the Rob Walker Racing Team and one for BRM. He died at the 1971 World Championship Victory Race, a non-Championship Formula One race, having his car roll over after a crash caused by a mechanical failure and being caught under the burning vehicle. Siffert was married twice and to his second wife Simone during the height of his career in the late 1960s and at the time of his death. They had two children together, Véronique and Philippe.

3. Albert Scherrer (1908 - 1986)

With an HPI of 61.15, Albert Scherrer is the 3rd most famous Swiss Racing Driver. His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.

Albert Scherrer (28 February 1908 in Riehen – 5 July 1986 in Basel) was a racing driver from Switzerland. He participated in one Formula One World Championship Grand Prix, the 1953 Swiss Grand Prix. He finished 16 laps down and unclassified, scoring no championship points.

4. Luigi Taveri (1929 - 2018)

With an HPI of 58.87, Luigi Taveri is the 4th most famous Swiss Racing Driver. His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.

Luigi Taveri (19 September 1929 – 1 March 2018) was a Swiss professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. He competed in the FIM motorcycle Grand Prix world championships from 1954 to 1966. Taveri is notable for being a three-time 125cc road racing world champion. Although he specialised in the smaller engined machines, Taveri is the only competitor to have scored points in six Grand Prix classes: 50cc, 125cc, 250cc, 350cc, 500cc and Sidecars. In 2016, he was named an FIM Legend for his motorcycling achievements.

5. Marc Surer (b. 1951)

With an HPI of 58.83, Marc Surer is the 5th most famous Swiss Racing Driver. His biography has been translated into 24 different languages.

Marc Surer (born 18 September 1951) is a Swiss former racing driver and broadcaster, who competed in Formula One from 1979 to 1986. Born in Arisdorf, Surer began kart racing aged 20. He moved to Germany in 1974 to compete in Formula Vee, as motor racing was banned in Switzerland following the 1955 Le Mans disaster. After finishing runner-up in the 1976 German Formula Three Championship, Surer progressed to European Formula Two, winning the title in 1979 with the BMW Junior Team. Making his Formula One debut at the Italian Grand Prix that year with Ensign, Surer signed for ATS in 1980. He participated in 88 Formula One Grands Prix, scoring 17 championship points.

6. Silvio Moser (1941 - 1974)

With an HPI of 58.74, Silvio Moser is the 6th most famous Swiss Racing Driver. His biography has been translated into 24 different languages.

Silvio Moser (24 April 1941 – 26 May 1974) was a racing driver from Switzerland.

7. Romain Grosjean (b. 1986)

With an HPI of 56.13, Romain Grosjean is the 7th most famous Swiss Racing Driver. His biography has been translated into 48 different languages.

Romain David Jeremie Grosjean (French pronunciation: [ʁɔmɛ̃ ɡʁoʒɑ̃]; born 17 April 1986) is a French and Swiss racing driver, who competes in the IMSA SportsCar Championship for Lamborghini and serves as a reserve driver in the IndyCar Series for Prema. Grosjean competed under the French flag in Formula One between 2009 and 2020, and the IndyCar Series from 2021 to 2024. Born and raised in Geneva to a Swiss father and French mother, Grosjean is the grandson of Olympic alpine skier Fernand Grosjean and the great-grandson of weapons designer Edgar Brandt. Graduating from kart racing to junior formulae in 2003 under a Swiss license, Grosjean began his career in Formula LO before moving to French Formula Renault in 2004 with SG Formula. He dominated the following season with 10 wins from 16 races. He then progressed to the Formula 3 Euro Series, winning the championship in 2007 amidst a title battle with Sébastien Buemi. Grosjean graduated to the GP2 Series in 2008, finishing fourth in his rookie season and winning the Asia Series. A member of the Renault Sport Academy since 2006, Grosjean debuted in Formula One with Renault at the 2009 European Grand Prix, replacing Nelson Piquet Jr. for the remainder of the 2009 season. He returned to junior formulae in 2010, winning the Auto GP Series, as well as becoming a race-winner in FIA GT1. He then won the GP2 title in 2011, as well as another Asia Series. In 2012, Grosjean returned to Formula One with Lotus alongside Kimi Räikkönen. He took his maiden podium finish at the Bahrain Grand Prix, repeating this feat in Canada and Hungary. Grosjean became the first driver to receive a race ban in 18 years after causing a multi-car collision at the Belgian Grand Prix. He achieved six further podiums in 2013 as he finished a career-best seventh in the World Drivers' Championship. Partnered by Pastor Maldonado in 2014 and 2015, he achieved his final podium at the latter Belgian Grand Prix. Grosjean moved to Haas for his 2016 campaign, ending his 10-year association with Team Enstone. He scored several points finishes in his 2017, 2018 and 2019 campaigns alongside Kevin Magnussen, finishing fourth at the 2018 Austrian Grand Prix. In 2020—his final season in Formula One—Grosjean survived a crash during the opening lap of the Bahrain Grand Prix, when his VF-20 split and caught fire after penetrating a metal crash barrier; he sustained second-degree burns and credited the halo device with saving his life. Grosjean moved to the IndyCar Series in 2021 with Dale Coyne, achieving his maiden pole position and podium at the Grand Prix of Indianapolis. He scored several further podiums across the 2022 and 2023 seasons with Andretti. After contesting 2024 with Juncos Hollinger, Grosjean moved to sportscar racing with Lamborghini in the IMSA SportsCar Championship.

8. Max de Terra (1918 - 1982)

With an HPI of 53.43, Max de Terra is the 8th most famous Swiss Racing Driver. Her biography has been translated into 18 different languages.

Max de Terra (6 October 1918 – 29 December 1982) was a Swiss racing driver. He participated in two Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 18 May 1952. He scored no championship points. He was a member of the Ecurie Espadon.

9. Toni Branca (1916 - 1985)

With an HPI of 53.38, Toni Branca is the 9th most famous Swiss Racing Driver. His biography has been translated into 17 different languages.

Antonio Branca (15 September 1916, Sion, Switzerland – 10 May 1985, Sierre, Switzerland) was a Formula One racing car driver from Switzerland who competed in three World Championship races. His motor racing career was allegedly financed by an admiring Belgian countess, the Vicomtesse de Walkiers. Branca mainly competed in privately owned Maserati 4CLT, in Formula One and Two races. Branca made his Formula One debut at the 1950 Swiss Grand Prix, finishing 11th, and briefly led the non-championship Formula One race in Circuit des Nations at Geneva in a Simca-Gordini. He scored a number of top-six placings in other minor races, his best finish being fourth at a Formula Two race at the Aix les Bains Circuit du Lac, before entering the Belgian Grand Prix and finishing in 10th place. Branca continued to race in 1951, retiring from the Formula One German Grand Prix and finishing sixth in the non-championship Pescara Grand Prix, but finished competing in Grand Prix racing at the end of the year. Branca competed at a lower level until the mid-1950s, racing in hillclimbs and competed twice in the 24 Hours of Le Mans race. Racing with a Moretti 750cc, in 1955 the car was not ready and did not get to the starting line in time, and in 1956 the car broke down before his turn to drive.

10. Jo Vonlanthen (b. 1942)

With an HPI of 52.99, Jo Vonlanthen is the 10th most famous Swiss Racing Driver. His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.

Joseph Vonlanthen (born 31 May 1942) is a former racing driver from Switzerland. He participated in one Formula One World Championship Grand Prix, on 17 August 1975, driving a Williams. He retired with engine failure, scoring no championship points. Vonlanthen started in Formula Vee, before progressing to Formula Three, where he won the Swiss Formula 3 Championship. He found things a little tougher in Formula Two, but managed to secure a seat with Frank Williams for the non-championship Swiss Grand Prix in 1975, where he finished 14th. He also made a World Championship start in the 1975 Austrian Grand Prix. Vonlanthen can be considered lucky to have started this race, as he was only allowed to start when Wilson Fittipaldi suffered an injury in practice which prevented him from taking his place on the grid. He subsequently returned to Formula 2 before disappearing from the sport's higher levels.

People

Pantheon has 31 people classified as Swiss racing drivers born between 1908 and 1999. Of these 31, 19 (61.29%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Swiss racing drivers include Marc Surer, Romain Grosjean, and Jo Vonlanthen. The most famous deceased Swiss racing drivers include Clay Regazzoni, Jo Siffert, and Albert Scherrer. As of April 2024, 4 new Swiss racing drivers have been added to Pantheon including Jean-Claude Rudaz, Marcel Fässler, and Fabio Leimer.